“My mother had breathing difficulty and was once critically ill, which made us worried. I could only give her moral support. I hope she can breathe independently and not rely on breathing assistance.”

57-year-old Mau Anak Ngadan from Kanowit, Sarawak, is an Iban lady. After going to the paddy field to plant rice in September, she developed gastric wind, repeated vomiting and coughed up blood. When she received treatment at the hospital, she was mistakenly treated as a patient of leptospirosis. Unexpectedly, her condition worsened, and she had breathing difficulty. The doctor intubated her twice for emergency treatment.

After repeated examinations, the doctor found that she had suffered from tuberculosis, which led to a decline in lung immunity. The doctor also diagnosed her with Pulmonary Mucormycosis. Although she is now out of the dangerous period and no longer needs breathing aids, the doctor told her she needed to undergo a six-month treatment to remove the fungus in her lungs, which cost RM41,769.

【Fungal infection caused the patient to cough up blood and have breathing difficulty. The woman had her throat intubated twice and relied on respiratory assistance. She was once on the verge of life and death】

Mau Anak Ngadan grows rice at home for self-sufficiency. After going to the paddy field in September, she suffered from gastric wind, repeated vomiting and coughed up blood. Her child sent her to Sibu Hospital, located an hour’s drive away, on 30 September. She was initially diagnosed with leptospirosis. The oxygen content in her body dropped sharply, and she became weak. Her breathing difficulty also worsened. The doctor transferred her to the intensive care unit and put her on breathing aid. The doctor also gave her antibiotic treatment. However, her condition did not improve but deteriorated.

The doctor finally found that she had suffered from tuberculosis. Her immune system was weakened due to trauma to the lungs. The fungus invaded her lungs, causing her to cough up blood, suffer from shortness of breath, and have a fever. She was intubated twice and needed breathing aid. After a scope, the doctor found that bacteria had begun to attack her kidneys, liver, and lungs. During an x-ray, the doctor discovered white spots on her lungs and diagnosed her with Pulmonary Mucormycosis. Her life was once at stake.

After the doctor determined the root problem and gave her suitable treatment, her condition gradually improved. She no longer needed oxygen assistance. The doctor discharged her after a month and suggested she undertake medicine for six months. The doctor said if she did not continue with the follow-up treatment to clear the fungal, the fungal would continue to attack her internal organs, causing her to suffer from breathing difficulty, deteriorating her health and costing her life.

The woman’s 64-year-old husband has retired. He can only stay at home due to severe diabetes. The woman grows rice on a two-acre plot of land to be self-sustainable. She also plants about 200 pepper trees on a one-acre plot of land, producing pepper worth about RM1,200 annually.

The couple has a 30-year-old son. As an only son who is unmarried, he chose to work in his hometown to care for his parents. He works in an oil palm estate with a monthly income of about RM1,000. The family of three lives on a meagre income and receives RM250 aid from the Welfare Department every month.

After reviewing the case, One Hope Charity decided to assist the patient in raising the medical expenses she needed. Her family agreed to fully authorise One Hope Charity to take charge of the fundraising and collect donations from the well-wishers on their behalf. Call One Hope Charity’s hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192 or 018-911 4192 if you have questions.